R EFLEXIVE V ERBS Describing Actions That Involve Oneself
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R EFLEXIVE V ERBS To describe people doing this for themselves
in Spanish, you use reflexive verbs. Examples of reflexive actions
are brushing ones teeth, combing ones hair, waking up, falling
asleep, washing ones face. Can you think of any more?
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R EFLEXIVE P RONOUNS Reflexive pronouns are used with reflexive
verbs to indicate that the subject of the sentence receives the
action of the verb.
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W HAT DOES THAT EVEN MEAN ? Lets look at the verbs to wash and
to wash ones self. Mary washes her face. The action occurring is
washing. Mary is washing, and she is also being washed. Mary washes
the car. In this sentence the action occurring is washing as well.
Mary is washing, but she is not being washed. The car is.
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F OR THE FOLLOWING SENTENCES TELL WHETHER YOU WOULD USE A
REFLEXIVE VERB OR NOT. T HEN TRANSLATE. My neighbor washes his
house. I bathe my dog every week. My parents shower my sister with
gifts on her birthday. My friends and I fell asleep at 1:00 in the
morning. Julio brushes his hair at night. She puts on her makeup
before leaving her house. Tomorrow my mom will put on my sisters
makeup.
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I wake up at 6 every day. My dad wakes up around 5. The old
woman cannot get up. The people brush down their horses after every
activity. My little sister doesnt know how to brush her teeth.
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W HAT ARE THE REFLEXIVE PRONOUNS ? The infinitive form of
reflexive verbs end in se. This is a reflexive pronoun. But the
pronoun changes depending on the subject.
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R EFLEXIVE P RONOUNS IN S PANISH menos teos sese
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C ONJUGATING WITH R EFLEXIVE P RONOUNS me lavo I wash myself
nos lavamos we wash ourselves te lavas you wash yourself os lavis
yall wash yourselves se lava he washes himself she washes herself
you (formal) wash yourself se lavan they wash themselves you all
(formal) wash yourselves Lets conjugate some more verbs. DONT
FORGET stem changing rules apply to some.
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W ITH AND W ITHOUT R EFLEXIVE P RONOUNS Pepe se lava. Pepe
washes himself. Pepe lava el carro. Pepe washes the car. With
Reflexive Pronoun Without Reflexive Pronoun
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R EFLEXIVE V ERBS AND P OSSESSION Luis se pone la ropa. Luis
puts on his clothes. Notice the sentence says la ropa and not su
ropa. This is because reflexive verbs already include the concept
of possession.
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R EFLEXIVE V ERBS IN THE I NFINITIVE F ORM When you use the
infinitive form of a reflexive verbs after a conjugated verb, you
still need to use the correct reflexive pronoun. The pronoun can
stay at the end of the reflexive verb or it can be moved in front
of the conjugated verb.
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W HAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE ? Puedo despertarme a las seis. I can
wake up at six. Me puedo despertar a las seis. I can wake up at
six. Notice that the pronoun used is me because the subject is yo.
Notice also the different placements of the pronouns.
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S OME VERBS CHANGE MEANING Some verbs change their meaning when
used reflexively. Dormir to sleep Dormirse to fall asleep Ir to go
Irse to leave or go away Poner to put Ponerse to put on
(clothes)
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P ONER Pongo Pones Pone Ponemos Ponis Ponen
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S OME EXAMPLES Los nios : banarse Yo : levantarse a las siete
Mi madre y yo : lavarse las manos T : acostarse muy temprano Ellos:
despertarse a las 6 Pablo: cepillarse los dientes